In 2014, Care New England Hospitals provided $97,366,646 in financial assistance and certain other community benefits at cost. In addition to providing uncompensated care, these costs include community health improvement services, education for health professionals, research and more.

The true value of the benefits CNE provides to the community, however, is seen not only on the corporate balance sheet. It takes place in our facilities every time we offer care to individuals who cannot pay for it. It happens in communities across Rhode Island, eastern Connecticut and southeastern Massachusetts when we bring educational programs to groups of all ages. It is the result of our creative brainstorming and problem-solving, when we devise programs to boost the supply of nurses or roll out technology or construction projects designed to address the needs of people in this area.

Employment

As one of Rhode Island's largest employers, CNE has embraced a strategic competency-based approach towards recruiting, retaining, developing, and transitioning employees. We recognize the shortage of nurses and allied professionals in the area and have crafted programs to help fill the voids.

Our focus on "human potential" is built on initiatives designed to enhance employee recruitment and retention, improve employee satisfaction, achieve greater diversity and encourage professional development. There is also an emphasis on the workforce of the future, highlighted by outreach efforts with area middle and high schools.

Information technology

Technology is more than a way for a health care system to be more efficient internally. It is also a way for us to improve patient care and patient and physician access to health care information.

In 2013, CNE chose EPIC as its new ambulatory clinical information technology partner. With this decision, all CNE-employed physicians and practices moved to a single practice management and electronic medical record (EMR) platform. The primary benefit of this $17-million investment is the improved coordination of information to advance patient care and enhanced interoperability with CNE hospitals and other providers in the state.

This project will bring physician practices into the new era of clinical information technology with modules for medical records, professional billing, scheduling, provider portal, patient portal, secure mobile applications, and multiple interfaces, including system’s inpatient EMR, third-party payers and CurrentCare, the Rhode Island health information exchange network. No effort in CNE’s 16-year history has done more to create system cooperation and cohesion than the incredible teamwork associated with this ambitious undertaking.

CNE is also an active participant in the state and regional Health Information Exchange and a strong supporter of the efforts of the Rhode Island Quality Institute to improve health care and make Rhode Island a national leader in effective use of health information technology.

Community education

CNE offers an array of programs designed to provide members of the community with the information, support and resources they need to make informed decisions about their health and the health of their families.

Residents of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts have convenient access to free health lectures, screenings, lending libraries, support groups, childbirth and parenting classes. Community organizations and employees of area businesses benefit from wellness lectures we deliver on-site.

Capital projects

When CNE invests in its infrastructure, we invest in the communities we serve. Capital projects contribute to the overall growth and stability of our communities by generating jobs for suppliers and contractors, purchasing goods and services from Rhode Island-based companies, and paying, directly and indirectly, local and state governments.

In response to the need in Rhode Island for increased access to acute mental health care, Butler Hospital in 2013 built the three-story, 48,000-square foot Riverview Building, which includes an expanded patient assessment services center and a new adult inpatient care unit and provides an intensive level of care for the increased number of patients with high acuity needs.

Also in 2013, Kent Hospital completed construction on a new 30,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center in its new Ambulatory Services Pavilion. A leading example of cutting-edge technology and design, the surgery center is equipped with eight surgical suites, five expansive and three smaller rooms designed specifically for endoscopic technology and interventional spine procedures. The new surgery center has 28 oversized pre- and post-operative bays for patient preparation and recovery.